Vermont Homeschool GED: What You Need to Know

Most Vermont home study families assume the GED is the only way to get credentials once their child is done — especially if they started homeschooling mid-high school and never set up a transcript. It's not. But the GED is still a legitimate path, and for some families it's the right one. Here's how it works in Vermont, who should consider it, and where the GED falls short compared to a parent-issued diploma.

What Is the GED and Who Qualifies in Vermont

The GED (General Educational Development) is a credential that certifies high school-level academic skills. Vermont follows the national standard: you must be at least 16 years old, not currently enrolled in a public or private school, and not hold a high school diploma.

Home study students qualify if they are registered under Vermont's home study statute (16 V.S.A. § 166b) or have withdrawn from public school. There's no minimum homeschooling duration required — a student who registered for home study last month and is 16+ is eligible to test.

The GED consists of four subject tests:

• Mathematical Reasoning (115 minutes)
• Reasoning Through Language Arts (150 minutes)
• Social Studies (70 minutes)
• Science (90 minutes)

All four tests are computer-based. You can pass subjects individually — you don't have to take them all at once.

Where to Take the GED in Vermont

Vermont uses Pearson VUE authorized test centers. As of 2025, testing sites include:

• Community College of Vermont (CCV) — multiple campuses statewide, including Burlington, Montpelier, St. Johnsbury, and Brattleboro
• Vermont Adult Learning — locations across the state; often offers free preparation programs alongside testing referrals
• Proctored testing centers — smaller authorized sites; check the official GED Testing Service site (ged.com) for the full list by zip code

Scheduling is done through ged.com. You create an account, register for each subject test separately, and pay per test. As of 2025, each subject test costs $38, so the full credential costs $152.

Score reports are available within hours of completion. Passing score is 145 per subject; scores of 165+ per subject earn the GED College Ready distinction, and 175+ earns College Ready + Credit (equivalent to 10 college credits in that subject).

GED Preparation in Vermont

Vermont Adult Learning provides free GED prep — both in-person and online. Enrollment is open to any Vermont resident 16+. Their programs cover all four test areas and many locations include digital literacy support for students who haven't used computers extensively.

CCV also offers developmental education courses that align with GED subject matter, though those are credit-bearing and fee-based. For structured self-study, the official GED prep materials at ged.com are the most aligned with actual test content. Khan Academy covers every tested topic and is free.

If your student has been homeschooling rigorously, a few weeks of targeted practice tests may be sufficient. The GED is not designed to be a high bar — it certifies roughly 10th-grade academic competency in core subjects.

GED vs. Parent-Issued Diploma: Which Is Right for Vermont Homeschoolers

Vermont law does not require homeschool students to take the GED. Parents can issue their own diploma when their home study student completes the educational program the family designed. That diploma carries legal weight — Vermont employers and colleges treat it as equivalent to a public school diploma.

The GED makes more sense than a parent-issued diploma in these specific situations:

Employment focused. Some employers, particularly in trades, retail, or government jobs with entry-level positions, have application systems that ask for a diploma or GED credential number. A GED provides a verifiable, third-party credential number. A parent-issued diploma does not come with a verification code.

No transcript documentation. If a family homeschooled without keeping records, building a credible transcript retroactively is difficult. The GED bypasses the transcript entirely — the score is the credential.

Student wants a clean academic restart. Some students who struggled in public school, came to homeschooling late, and aren't pursuing a traditional college path feel better having an external validation of their academics.

However, the parent-issued diploma is better in these situations:

College-bound students. Every Vermont college — UVM, Middlebury, Vermont State University — will review a home study student's application using a transcript and portfolio, not a GED score. A strong homeschool transcript with rigorous coursework, dual enrollment credits from CCV, and a good SAT/ACT score tells a richer story than a GED. Admissions officers who receive a GED application from a homeschooler may actually see it as weaker than a thoughtful homeschool record.

Skilled trades apprenticeships. Vermont registered apprenticeships require a diploma or equivalent. A parent-issued diploma qualifies.

Military enlistment. The military has historically preferred traditional diplomas over GEDs. Tier I candidates (diploma holders) have significantly better enlistment odds than Tier II (GED holders). Homeschool diplomas typically qualify as Tier I if supported by documentation.

Can Vermont Home Study Students Get a Homeschool Diploma Instead

Yes. Under Vermont law, when a student completes their home study program, the parent issues the diploma. There is no state form, no district approval required, and no notarization. The diploma should list the student's name, date of graduation, and the parent's signature. Many families include a seal and transcript.

The Vermont Agency of Education does not maintain a diploma registry. If someone needs to verify a homeschool diploma — a future employer, the military, a college — the family provides a copy of the diploma and transcript directly.

If you're in the process of building out your high school records now, see the Vermont homeschool transcript template and Vermont homeschool high school portfolio posts. The transcript is what colleges and apprenticeship programs will actually review.

The GED and Microschool Students

If your teenager is part of a microschool or learning pod and doesn't plan to pursue a four-year college, the GED is a perfectly workable credential path. Microschools can structure curriculum around GED readiness — the four subject areas map cleanly onto a core academic program. A student who completes a solid mathematics and language arts sequence and then sits for the GED can be done with the credentialing question entirely by 16 or 17, freeing up time for apprenticeship programs, vocational training, or community college.

For microschool students who are college-bound, the better path is building a real transcript and taking the SAT or ACT. Vermont colleges want to see what the student has studied, not just that they passed a minimum proficiency exam.

Vermont home study families don't have to choose the GED by default. If you're building a structured home study program with records, a parent-issued diploma backed by a strong transcript is more useful for most outcomes. If records are thin or your student is employment-focused, the GED is a practical fallback. The Vermont Micro-School & Pod Kit at /us/vermont/microschool/ includes transcript templates and diploma formats so you're not starting from scratch.

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